Tag Archives: videos as content

Seven Steps To Writing For Reading On Camera

Behind The Scenes, Uncategorized, ,

My friend Rick Dearborn had some great tips on his MARKETVIDPOST blog. I asked his permission to share them with you, and he graciously accepted. Here is Rick’s post:

Most marketers are already good writers. They’re involved in carefully choosing words and crafting marketing messages all day long. But writing a script to be read on camera is a whole different experience that requires a few new skills. Here are a few useful tips that will help you create scripts that area easier to read aloud:

1. READ IT ALOUD. No matter what you’ve written, read it out loud to yourself. See how it flows and feels, and make changes accordingly. Then put it down for a while, and do it again. You will be surprised at the edits that will be needed.

2. CONTRACTIONS. When writing we rarely use contractions, but they’re commonplace in our speach. When writing to be read aloud, contractions are essential. After you write your script, read it over an look for places where contractions make sense. Here is an example that shows what a difference contractionscan make:

Before: “Now you are ready to get started. We are sure you aready know there is a best way to begin. But, if you do not, here is how you can start. You will need to write a draft first and you will need to read it aloud. It is always a good idea to start that way.”

After: “Now you’re ready to get started. We’re sure you already know there’s a best way to begin. But, if you don’t, here’s how you can start. You’ll need to write a draft first, and you’ll need to read it aloud. It’s always a good idea to start that way.”

3. COMMAS. Commas make good gramatical sense, but in most cases they don’t work well when reading aloud. The reason is, when we read aloud we feel we need to pause when we see a comma. The gramatical use of a comma does not necessarily result in the best phrasing when reading aloud. After you write your script, take all the commas out and read it aloud. Where it feels natural to pause, put dashes in instead of commas. Then read aloud again and adjust as necessary.

4. UNDERLINING. If there are particular words you need to emphasis when reading aloud, underline them. But, don’t go crazy with it. Use underlining sparingly, only on the words that are really important. Some techniques recommend single, double, and triple underlining of words all through your script to ensure different levels of emphasis. If you go crazy with underlining, your reading can sound mechanical. It should be natural and real. I recommend using underlining only for the words that really matter.

5. PARAGRAPH PHRASING. Don’t hesitate to break your script up into smaller, shorter paragraphs – it will help you phrase the concepts when reading aloud. I’ts ok to even make a paragraph out of a single sentence.

6. FONT SIZE AND LINE SPACING. It really helps to write the script in a larger than usual font, one that is easy to read aloud. I also recommend greater than normal line spacing. I like 24 point Arial font, with 1.5 to 2.0 line spacing. That gives you a little space to enter hand written underlining or other small changes. (But, don’t get too carried away with hand written edits on your script. They can get hard to read. It’s always better to make them in the computer and print out a new copy, if you can).

7. ALL CAPS. When you write a script in ALL CAPS, you can focus more on the emphasis of the meaning, rather than on the structural, making it easier to read.

That last tip is controversial to some, but I have to say that when I write scripts for myself, I write in all caps. Maybe it has something to do with the teletype copy I used to read. Those machines only had caps, and everyone in radio learnedly to read copy that way. I hope this helps.
— that’s a wrap

3 Vital Marketing Questions Every Business Must Answer

Video As Content, Who Uses Video, , , ,

I don’t care if you’re a solopreneur or own a company with 50 employees – you know how to get or create inventory, what your profit margin is, and who your target market is. Now, let’s see how you answer these three vital marketing questions. I’ll have answers at the end.
1. WHY DO YOU HAVE A WEBSITE? What is its purpose? Is it an online brochure? Do you actually sell product and collect revenue there? Is it because everyone else has one?
2. ARE THE RIGHT PEOPLE VISITING YOUR SITE? Do you know who they are and how they found you? Do you know what phrase they put into a search engine that brought your site into the results? How long are they staying ?
3. WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO DO? Place an order? Subscribe to your newsletter? Call you to find out more? If you don’t ask your visitors to do something, then they won’t.
NOW LET’S SEE THE ANSWERS
1. If someone recommends you to a friend, 8 out of 10 of those folks will head to the web to check you out. If you can’t answer their questions, they’ll go elsewhere very quickly. Videos immediately establish trust and expertise.
2. You can target the right visitors all across the web with videos. Use blogs, social media, local search and more. When they do find you, make them stay with compelling videos that answer their questions and show off your product or service.
3. Whether you want visitors to fill out a form, subscribe to a newsletter or buy a product, 70% more visitors convert after watching a video.
Want to talk about more ideas? Call me. Because if you aren’t using video and your competition is, you lose.
–that’s a wrap.

Questions About Building A Video Library

Video As Content, Who Uses Video, , ,

How well do you know your competition?  How well do you know their marketing efforts?  Sometimes being in business and competing for the same customer is like a chess game.  The winner will always be the one who is thinking three moves ahead.

Think your competition has a marketing plan?  Or do they favor a shotgun approach: a little of this, and a little of that?  Unfocused marketing misses the mark. Make blatent one or two things about your brand, and you’ll be successful. One thing that realy focuses your efforts, and has a large return on investment is video.

If you have video, and your competition doesn’t – You Win!

It’s been proven thyat companies with at least three videos on their site are perceived as experts by their customers.

Start building a video presence – with a blog, or a tips and tricks section to your website – BEFORE the competition starts paying attention.

–That’s a wrap.

Don’t Hide Your Videos

Behind The Scenes, Video As Content, , , ,

I’m starting to see a few websites with a YouTube logo in one corner or as part of the site menu.  I take that to mean there’s a company YouTube channel linked to it.  But you shouldn’t stop there. If you make YouTube your sole source of video traffic, you’re missing the boat.

Here’s how:
1. Videos hosted on your own server get “liked” by the search engines quicker.
2. If you don’t show some of your expertise – in the form of videos – on your site, you’re asking your audience to jump through another hoop in order to get them.

Instead:
Post your best – the ones that answer questions or solve problems – on a page or pages that are dedicated to solving that problem.
Use your YouTube embed code to play your videos in email newsletters, and other communication tools.

Put your videos out front, and let them work their magic.

— That’s a wrap.

5 Things You Should Know About Video Marketing

DIY ?, Video As Content, Who Uses Video, , , ,

 

You’re in business. You have competition. That’s a given. Still, there are things, ideas, products, or people that set you apart from your competition. But how do you let your prospective customers know? The traditional way is advertising, but it can be expensive, and most times, you can’t be sure how effective it will be. Videos for business and website video marketing is effective, affordable and trackable. Here are the basics you need to know: 1. Pick a video production company that specializes in producing ONLINE video. They will help you decide how to best reach your target audience. 2. Use real people. Use yourself: customers love to be able to put a face on your business. If you’re not completely comfortable on camera, a professional video producer will show you how to look at the top of your game. 3. Show where you do business. Show where your product is made. Behind the scenes videos CAN be tricky. Someone who specializes in shooting business videos can spot the details that could make or break the scene. 4. Put the finished video in the right spot on your website. Video marketing professionals will work with you or your web designer to make sure the video is optimized and plays properly from your server. 5. Promote your message in social media, blogs, and newsletters. The more places you put your video, the more the search engines will love it. For more information about how videos drive results, visit Videos On Your Website


–That’s a wrap.

Would You Feel Better If I Called It A Commercial?

Uncategorized, Video As Content, Who Uses Video, ,

After decades in advertising, I can tell you that business people LOVE commercials. It’s their opportunity to get “face time” with their customers and prospects and talk about their wonderful products.

Guess who doesn’t love commercials?
Answer: customers and prospects.

When is the only time customers love commercials?
During that football game each February.

But this is the online world. And people don’t search for commercials.

And yet, I’m surrounded by materials from video producers trying to sell businesses a :30 second commercial, or an Infomercial, or even, heaven forbid, a Webmercial. And so it bears repeating:

People. Don’t. Search. For. Commercials.

They’re looking for content. If you’re a plumber, it might be: Five Things You Should Never Put Down Your Garbage Disposal. If you’re a dentist, it might be: Meet Our Staff. If you run a pet grooming service, maybe it’s a couple of testimonials from satisfied customers.

That way, when folks search for a plumber, and that video shows up in search, that plumber has a certain amount of expertise in the eyes of that prospect. When someone is searching for a dentist, all of a sudden this one seems nicer and more trustworthy. When my friends tell me to check out the pet grooming service, I see a couple of folks like me talking about what a pleasure it was working with them.

Content like that will keep me on a web page longer. Content like that will build trust in the eyes of a customer or prospect. It’s closer to showing and telling than it is to selling. But it is not a commercial.

It’s better.

–that’s a wrap.

My Cat Eats Small Meals

Uncategorized, Who Uses Video, , ,

I work with a few clients on a monthly basis helping them build their video blog.

When a business decides to do a video or two every month, they’re understandably very excited.  Come the day of the shoot, they are in one of two camps: They have a three page written script  –or—they have no idea what they’re going to say.

I have the same advice for both of them:  My cat eats small meals.

A few times a day, my cat will saunter over to her bowl and take a few bites.  That’s all she needs. After that, it can be playtime, naptime, or she’ll sit on one of her favorite surfaces in my office and watch me work.

Humans can be the same way with information: don’t give them too much to digest.

Instead of putting all of your messages into one video, think about what you want your viewer to come away with.  What inspires you? What motivates you every day?  Those are great video blog posts.  It doesn’t always have to be about your product.

By breaking up your information into small “bites” you can feed your customers and prospects just the right information diet that will have them coming back for more.

That’s a wrap.

5 Lines From Field Of Dreams That Explain How To Use Video

Uncategorized, Who Uses Video, , ,

Yeah, it’s a classic baseball movie. Ray Kinsella learns a great lesson. But if you listen closely, the Voice may also be telling you how to increase your sales and your expertise in the minds of your customers with video.

1. Voice: “If you build it, he will come”

Especially now, after the Google Panda update, content will get you noticed. Using videos makes websites more likely to show up on top of organic searches. Not only that, but when a visitor lands on a small business’ page with video, the 2nd most popular behavior is to click the video.

2. Ray: “Don’t we need a catcher?”
Shoeless Joe: “Not if you get it near the plate, we don’t”

You know that when a website has a video, the conversion rate is higher than a website with no video.  But that video doesn’t even need to be watched. Just the fact that it’s there makes a difference in the conversion rate.

3. “This is my corn. You people are guests in my corn”

In the movie, it’s Ray speaking.  For this instance, it’s your website visitor. Your video is a guest in his browser. So, get rid of the auto-start, and make sure your message isn’t sales-y. Most likely the visitor got to your site because he is trying to solve a problem.  It makes no sense to show your latest TV commercial.

4. Mark: It is true. You don’t know the first thing about farming.
 Ray: Yes I do. I know a lot about farming. I know more than you think I know.

Show off what you know. The more your show your expertise, the more your visitors will consider you the authority in your field. Studies show that websites with at least three videos are considered authorities.

5. Voice: “Go The Distance”

See above. And don’t stop. Keep updating and upgrading your videos.

 

That’s a wrap.

 

Have You Seen Our Coupon?

Uncategorized, Who Uses Video, , , ,

There’s one store close to my house that I frequent – not every day, maybe every two weeks. I was there today, and noticed the hand-written sign on the front door?

Have You Seen Our Coupon?

Under it was taped one of those coupons that are printed on the backs of grocery receipts. In making conversation with the store clerk, I discovered that the coupons had been out about a month, and no one had used one yet.

These folks spent a sum of money for a vehicle which they believed would cause increased traffic to their store. Since nothing happened, their feeling about this form of marketing will soon be, “I tried it and it didn’t work.”

It doesn’t matter that there could be other factors at play: the offer wasn’t good enough, the design wasn’t eye catching, the weather was too cold..any number of things.

Their investment in that coupon and its distribution ends when it’s no longer being printed.

That’s advertising.

 

What if you had a creative message that you owned? One that worked for you 24/7/365.

What if you didn’t have to ask your customers if they had seen your message; you’d know because they’d be buying from you?

What if you had something that the competition didn’t?

What if you had a message that connected with customers and prospects

What if that message was something your prospects had been searching for?

That’s web content.

 

Videos On Your Website can help you build a library of web content so that you become the expert, and they will choose your business to answer their questions and solve their problems.  No coupon needed.

 

That’s a wrap.

 

 

6 Lines From The Godfather That Explain Why You Should Use Video

Behind The Scenes, Who Uses Video, , , , , , , , , ,

Just in time for the Oscars. Ready?

“Why didn’t you come to me first?” (Websites that use video convert visitors faster and easier.  A good category is Attorneys. Well, maybe not for the Godfather, but for our purposes – Studies show that folks will search an average of 7 websites when they are looking for an attorney.  But when there’s video, that number drops to 2. )

“Make them an offer they can’t refuse” (Video makes content they can’t refuse.  A compelling message about your company will keep visitors on your site longer. Videos can also very easily enhance your credibility. Companies with three or more videos on their website are perceived as the authority.)

“I need a man who has powerful friends” (The neatest thing about video is that folks can share it with their friends.  Make something WORTH sharing. People don’t search for, nor do they share commercials – so don’t make one. The hardest thing about video is coming up with great ideas. That’s where we can help.)

“My client promises to make that trouble disappear “ (With video you can not only show the features and benefits, but you can have your customers tell their story too. That’s called a testimonial, and man, do they work!)

“Times have changed. It’s not like the Old Days, when we can do anything we want.” (Yep.  Here in the digital age, customers are more informed. They WANT to be engaged. They don’t have a lot of time to read everything you want them to read.  So, say it and show it in a video. Or better yet, a series of videos.  Not to worry. We can have you communicating 21st Century style in no time.)

“And let me be even more frank, just to show you that I’m not a hard-hearted man, that it’s not all dollars and cents.” (Customers, especially the tech-savvy under 30s, want value. If you’re a plumber, do a video on how to fix a sink.  An accountant? What are the top deductions that many folks miss?  THAT’S content. It’s content that can be used. Content that they can’t refuse.

NOT to use video can be a website’s kiss of death.  Let that happen to the other guy. Wise up and start putting Videos On Your Website now.

Or just call us and fergitaboutit.

That’s a wrap.